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Away we go

When you have a baby away from family, you're faced with a whole slew of questions. Do we want to be closer to family? Which side? How about our jobs? What do we want for our kids? What do we need to be the best parents? Etc., etc., etc.

In the movie Away We Go these are the very questions that are asked. In a nutshell, the couple finds out they'e expecting and proceeds to search the country for their perfect home by visiting all their friends and family. They're greeted with imperfections and quirks in each place always posing the final question of what do we want?
My husband, baby girl, and I will be moving to Washington in mid-April to, you guessed it, be closer to loved ones. Thankfully (and blessedly) my husband will be able to work remotely and keep the same position at his company making the work-transition fairly seamless. Ella will gain a couple playmates - her dear cousins - which makes my heart smile as she's nearing the age of needing other tiny humans to play with. I have no reason to be sad. We've been trying to move for over a year. And here it is. All the puzzle pieces that needed to magically fall into place have turned into one perfect, complete puzzle.

The one piece of the puzzle that didn't quite fit was the "Detroit" piece. See, the other place that was on the table to move was my beloved home state of Michigan. And damn, was I excited. If you are a born and bred Detroiter, you know there's no better feeling than that of going home. It's in our blood to love it hard when we're there and miss it even harder when we're gone. But at the end of all the "pros", the "cons", the "what ifs", the "ands", and "buts", Detroit wasn't the right call for our family as a whole.

Which is what originally got me thinking about Away We Go and how they struggled to find their perfect puzzle piece of a home. And it's what brings me to what I've learned over the past six years being in California. A home is what you make it. Yes, in my opinion, I think it's best when family and close friends are nearby. Maybe the sports teams are some of the best. But ultimately, a home is about the people who are in your life, the memories you make and the adventures you take when you're living in whatever spot you find yourself in. It isn't about a given zip code, it's about what you bring and what you make of a that zip code.

Maybe in 2, 4, 5, years we'll be moving to Michigan or a different part of Washington or, hell, back to Southern California. The future is one huge, blank slate full of potential and possibilities that I'm not going to say "never" to. But for now, away we go to the Pacific Northwest. To a little bit cooler weather (Praise the Lord), an in-unit washer and dryer (Praise the Lord), and a whole lot of Birkenstocks (we'll be close to Portland).

We're comin' at you Washington. And I'm ready to make you our next home. Temporary or not.